Category Archives: Bass

Smallmouth bass fishing on the Androscoggin River in Lisbon, Maine (June 23, 2013)

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General view of the rapids on the Androscoggin River about 0.5 miles upstream of the Sabattus River boat launch

General view of the rapids on the Androscoggin River about 0.5 miles upstream of the Sabattus River boat launch

I’m fishing a set of rapids on the Androscoggin River with my ten-year old nephew Christian this afternoon. These rapids are found about 0.5 miles upstream of the boat launch located on the Sabattus River where it  flows into the Androscoggin River off Route 196 (and just upstream of the old railroad bridge) in Lisbon.  We arrive at 4 pm and quickly launch my boat. The water level is quite low and the boat launch isn’t very steep. I’ve got to go way into the water before my small boat floats off the trailer. This could be an issue for more substantial craft.

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Largemouth bass fishing on Chaffin Pond, Windham, Maine (June 23, 2013)

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General view of Chaffin Pond

General view of Chaffin Pond

Chaffin Pond is a pretty 13-acre body of water located in the heart of the business district of North Windham off busy Route 302 (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 C2). Going north on Route 302, turn right on Chaffin Pond Road, right before the Sherman Williams paint store. The pond is part of the Windham Parks and Recreation’s  123-acre Donnabeth Lippman Park. Click here for a map of the park and its pond. A depth map is not available

 

 

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Largemouth bass fishing on Lily Pond, New Gloucester, Maine (June 22, 2013)

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The rough launch at Lily Pond

The rough launch at Lily Pond

Lily Pond is a pretty 38-acre water body located just west of the Maine Turnpike (I-95) in New Gloucester, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 B4). Access to this pond is via a rough boat launch that can only accommodate hand-carried craft. The launch is located at the end of a short dirt road off Snow Hill Road (looking east) right before the bridge over the pond outlet. Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife stocks the pond each year with about 8 rainbow trout per acre. This stocking rate makes Lily pond one of the premier rainbow trout destinations in southern and central Maine, right after Ell Pond (click here for more details on the latter). The fishing rules on this pond are strict because of its special status as a regional rainbow trout fishery. The major restrictions are as follows: (a) the pond is closed to ice fishing, (b) use or possession of live fish is prohibited (dead bait fish, salmon eggs, and worms are allowed), and (c) motorboats are prohibited. Click here for details on the fishing regulations and for additional rules pertaining to this body of water.

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Bass fishing on the Tenny River, Raymond, Maine (June 22, 2013)

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General view of the Tenny River: broad and very shallow.

General view of the Tenny River: broad and very shallow.

The Tenny River connects Crescent Lake to Panther Pond in Raymond, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 B2). Calling this body of water a “river” is somewhat of a misnomer. It is essentially a 1.5-mile long, shallow thoroughfare. However, the current definitely flows in a southerly direction, from Crescent Lake into Panther Pond. The Tenny River is wide (60 to > 100 ft) but very shallow (1 to 3 ft for the most part). Both banks of the river are lined with trees and woods, providing a nice and “remote” feel. The substrate consists mainly of coarse sand and gravel/pebbles, interspersed with larger rocks. The bottom is either bare or covered with aquatic submerged plants. The water is crystal clear. The limited bass habitat, consisting of weedy shallows and submerged wood, is all congregated along the shoreline.  The rest of the river is otherwise pretty featureless and does not provide attractive habitat.

 

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Largemouth bass fishing on Chaffin Pond, Windham, Maine (June 16, 2013)

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General view of Chaffin Pond

General view of Chaffin Pond

Chaffin Pond is a pretty 13-acre body of water located in the heart of the business district of North Windham off busy Route 302 (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 C2). The pond is part of the Windham Parks and Recreation’s  123-acre Donnabeth Lippman Park. Click here to obtain a map of the park and its pond.

 

 

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Largemouth bass fishing on Mill Pond, Windham, Maine (June 9, 2013)

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The outlet of Little Sebago Lake into Mill Pond

The outlet of Little Sebago Lake into Mill Pond

Mill Pond is a 10-acre impoundment formed by the outlet of Little Sebago Lake in Windham (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 C2). The downstream end of this small pond is dammed. The ouflow pouring over this dam forms Ditch Brook which flows underneath Route 115 and eventually into Collins Pond further downstream. The water in Mill pond is crystal clear. The substrate consists mostly of boulders and cobbles. The maximum depth is about 35 ft. Around a dozen houses dot the shoreline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Smallmouth bass fishing on Sebago Lake – Dingley Islands, Casco, Maine (June 2, 2013)

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Dingley Islands, Sebago Lake, Maine

Dingley Islands, Sebago Lake, Maine

I’m spending the weekend with my family at Sebago Lake State Park, which is located at the northern end of Sebago Lake in Naples. I love camping at this location in early June because we have the camp ground (almost…) to ourselves, yet the weather is warm enough to make an overnight stay a pleasure. It is only later on in the summer that the park becomes crowded and noisy on weekends. My son Joel and I decide to get up at 6 am on Sunday morning to spend two hours fishing for smallmouth bass in and around the Dingley Islands before the rest of the family gets up. The Dingley islands consist of two dozen or so small to large islands located in the northwestern corner of Sebago Lake, near South Casco (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 C1).

 

 

 

 

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Largemouth bass fishing on Sebago Lake – Sebago Cove, Naples, Maine (June 1, 2013)

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I’m spending the weekend with my family at Sebago Lake State Park, which is located at the northern end of Sebago Lake in Naples. I love camping at this location in early June because we have the camp ground (almost…) to ourselves, yet the weather is warm enough to make an overnight stay a pleasure. It is only later on in the summer that the park will become crowded and noisy on weekends. Christian, my ten-year old nephew and my latest project for turning another family member into an ardent fisherman, asks me if we can go fishing…

 

View of Sebago Cove on Sebago Lake from Route 114

View of Sebago Cove on Sebago Lake from Route 114

 

I decide to give Sebago Cove a try. I don’t want to drive up to the cove from the state park with my boat because we only have 2 hours to fish. Instead, we leave the state park by car at 5 pm and quickly arrive at the Route 114 bridge over the short thoroughfare which connects Sebago Lake to Sebago Cove in South Naples. We park the car on the “Sebago Lake” side of the road and walk diagonally across the narrow bridge and over the railing to fish the cove by the thoroughfare. Note that this spot is not really “kid friendly” due to its location next to a busy road and the fact that the bridge lacks shoulders to safely walk on. An alternative option is to fish the Sebago Lake side of the thoroughfare.

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ice fishing for bass: eight proven tactics to catch more of them

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Contrary to popular lore, smallmouth and largemouth bass do bite under the ice. In fact, I’ve caught some of my biggest bass that way! But we have to adjust our tactics in response to the wintery conditions. The fish congregate on the bottom and are lethargic and slow. They only eat a small fraction of what they would normally eat in the summer. But here’s the thing: they do need to feed and can therefore be caught.  Below are some ways to catch more bass under the ice.

 

Bass fishing through hard water is a blast!

Bass fishing through hard water is a blast!

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Smallmouth bass fishing on the Androscoggin River, Topsham, Maine (June 24, 2012).

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View of the rock piles around the bridge over the Androscoggin River

This afternoon, I’m fishing the stretch of the Androscoggin River between the Pejepscot boat launch in Topsham and the power dam located about 0.5 mile further upstream (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 6 B2). I spend most of my time fishing the rock piles around where the Route 125 bridge crosses the river. The water level is quite high today and more water than normal is flowing through these rocks, which should attract smallies who like to ambush prey from behind submerged boulders.My lure of choice is a 4″ pink soft stickbait. I’m imbedding the large hook inside the body of the bait, but quickly notice that this tactic is causing me problems. I’m getting bites but missing too many fish because the point doesn’t come out of the bait when I set the hook. I switch to the “wacky worm”, which consists of squeezing the stickbait through a small “O” ring before hooking the “O” ring + the bait to a No. 8 fish hook. The results are immediate because the hook is now exposed instead of being embedded inside the bait. Just about every hit yields a bass.

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